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Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide

This guide was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter.
For more advanced trainees it can be a desktop reference, and a collection of the base knowledge needed to proceed with system and network administration. This book contains many real life examples derived from the author's experience as a Linux system and network administrator, trainer and consultant. They hope these examples will help you to get a better understanding of the Linux system and that you feel encouraged to try out things on your own.

I just got a used HP dv5000 sff computer and looking to install a dual boot system. It has one of those, uh, other OSes on it...

I want to take a snapshot of the current HD before tinkering around.

I did some web searches and it looks like I can grab the whole contents and compress it by booting a Knoppix DVD and using dd if=/dev/hda | gzip -9 > <filename> and saving the output to a usb harddrive. What I'd like to know is if anyone else has done this? What I'd do should things do awry would be to restore the drive to it's original state with gzip -d <filename> >/dev/hda. Are there any additional parameters I should use like specifying the blocksize or use gzip -d <filename> | dd of=/dev/hda on restore?

You can certainly use dd and the Knoppix disk, though obviously you need a backup disk to store the file on it. It is slow. There are a number of other options, like "cloning" the disk with a program like clonezilla. I personally like Acronis TrueImage, which runs under Windows, Linux or with a standalone boot CD recovery disk.